Water heater



Jan. 1, 1929. v 1,697,157

A c. B. BACKER WATER HEATER Filed March 18, 192'? INVENTOR Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

CHRISTIAN" IBiEeRGH BACKQER, 0F TIMPERLEY, EN GLAN D.

WATER HEATER.

Application filed March 18, 1327. Serial No. 176,417.

My invention relates to electrically heated devices and partictularly to electrically heated iiuid containers. Y

An object of my invention is vto provide a relatively simple, compact and easily assembled iiuid heater that shall embodyy a highly eiiicient tubular heating unit.

vIn practicing my invention, I provide a casing or container embodying a substantially semi-cylindrical groove in its outer surface, a tubular heating unit comprising an outer metal casing and a, resistor compacted therein by expansively oxidized electric-insulating and heat-conducting crystalline material, and a resilient member for holding the heating unit in the groove.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Fig. l is a view, in vertical section, of a fluid heater embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 isa top plan view of a resilient heatjng unit `employed with the container of ig 17 1 L Fig. 3 is a partial view, in vertical section,

of a modified form of iiuid heater embodying any invention,

is so shaped thaty it is located above the outer Fig. 4 is a view, in horizontal section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and r Fig. 5 is a view, in vertical section, of a portion of a still further modification ofa deviceembodying my invention. Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a luidcasing or container 11 is provided with a bottom closure member 12 which may be secured thereto by any means, 'hereindicated as a plurality of screws 13. A plurality of supports 14 are provided and are suitably secured to the closure 12.

A bottom portion 15 is provided for the`c`asing or "containerll and' issecured thereto, at

its periphery, Aby any suitable', means, here .shown'a's an inwardly extending peripheral l lateral section, as is shown in the drawing.

groove 16 in the wall of the casinfrjll and a 'i cooperating annular groove in a ange portion 17 of the bottom member 15. The intermediate portion 18 of the bottom member 15 peripheral portion of the bottom-member 15.

The peripheral portion of the part 18 is so" shaped las to provide anannular `groove 19y that is of substantially semi-circular shape in A heating unit 21 is located within the groove 19 and comprises a tubular outermetal casing 22 and a resistor member 23 lgcated, and tightly compacted, therein by a mass 24 of expansively loxidized electric insulating and heat-conducting crystalline material which is produced 1n accordance with the disclosure of Vmy reissued Patent No. 16,340; Brieiy, the method of making the said heating unit comprises winding a resistor wire in the form of an open helix, locating the helix within an outer envelope of metallic magnesium, which outer envelope may be an open` helix of a flat strip of metallic magnesium, then locating the resistor and the covering of metallic magneslum w1th1n a casing 21 and subjecting the assembled elements to thevaction of high-pressure and hlgh-temperature steam for a predetermined length of time. The initially metalof such dilnensions, as regards the outer diamleter of the annulu's, that it itstightly within the groove 19 which is of such radial dimension that it necessary to forcethe heating unit 21 intothe groove. The heating unit is held within the groove byaresilient member 26, of substantially cup-shape, the flange portion whereof is provided with lips 27 bent outends of e Wardly in order -to insure a close engagement with the casing 22 to provide a close enga ement between the portions of thefiange of t e resilient retaining member 2-6 and the casing.-

The end portions of the resistor 23 are connected to the inner end prtions of terminal pins 28 which are insulatedly mounted in a VAterminal guard member 29 of the usual shape, the member 29 being mounted within an opening in the bottom portion of the casing 11 in a manner well-known in the art.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawing, a container 31 is shown as being provided with a depending bottom portion having a substantially sem1-c1rcular groove 32 formed in a bottom portion thereof within which the hereinbefore described heating unit may be located. A resllient stricted thereto, as

and other means for effect- .i125 that shown in Fi portion 01": the container 41.

-`with. an annular #dricalroove 46 in th ffore described is located 40 the' groove 46 as was the casein 1 and 'l l ingunitin the groove 46.

means for holding it may be employed, this means beingshown more particularly in Fig.

5 4-o the drawing as embodying radially extending integral end portions thereof, one yo which is bent around the other.- While 1 have shown a particular embodiment of a resilient clamping member, 1 do -not wishy to be rethis is shownfor illustrative purposes only ing the same result may be employed.

.A bottom portion 34 is provided for. the container 31, which` mayl be partially open 15 at the bottom and be closed by a closure inember 35. Legs 36 may be secured to the bottom end of the bottom portion 34. Contact pins in a guard 3 8, the ends of the resistor mem- 20 ber 23'. being connectedthereto in a manner well-known in the art.

Referring more'particularly ,to Fig-.5 of the? drawing, a container 41, which maybe `of substantially thesame general shape as 1, is provided with abottom closure mem r 42-to which are secured legs 43. A plurality of `screiisk44 are 'used to hold the bottom closure member in proper operative position relatively to the bottom A- bottom 45 is provided for the container 41, intertting annular grooves being pro-v vided,as hereinbefore described, for the containerN 11 and the bottom 15 illustrated in Fig. 1. The bottom member 45 is provided substantially semi-cylinbottom surface therea heating unit `of the type hereinbein this groove. As in the member 45 is substanofthe member 45, in-

tiallyvin vthe bottom steado at the insideor' 3, respectively, I provide a resilient clamping means which 45 engages'thev bottom portionof the casing 22vv said groove.

and embodies aflat plate 47 which isp'ro'vided with a-'small dependingiange portion and a plurality of vradially extending slits in -order to make fthe member' more resilient. A 50 clamping bolt 48 extendsthrough the bottom portion 45v andthe plate v47'and a-cooperating nut 49 permits of tightly clamping thev heaterminal pins 51 land ard 52amv provided, the ends of theresistor wire 23 beingelectrically connected to f the respective .terminal pins in a-manner wellknown in the art. f

` lt may be noted that the Vdevice embodying modictions, ema container having a thin wall having inventionein all fof its i a groove therein,

37 are `insulatedly mounted Y groove,

the outside 'thereoiQ sister in sai ya terminal-pin .f

is substantally semi-circular, within which a resilient tubular heating unitis located and held in proper operative position by a resi ient member which operatively engages that portion of the peripheral surface of the metal casing located substantially opposite to that portion thereof whichengageszthe wall of the groove.

Any replacement -'of a damaged heating unit is easily and -qiiickly effected in all of the diie-rent modifications disclosed in this application, by the removal of the resilient clamping member, the disconnection of the ends of the resistor member from the terminal pins removal of: the damaged unit, the insertion of a new heating unit and the reconnection of the resistor ends to the terminal pins.

Variousmodications maybe made in the device 'embodying my invention without de art or are setforth in the. appended claims.

- I claim as my invention:

a lateral section of which.

1. The combination with. a container having a bottomportion shaped'to form an annular groove external Ato the casing, a. resilient tubular heating unit having a predetermined portion only and resilient means operatively engaging another 'portion of the peripheral surface of the the groove. y,

' 2.' In an electrically heated device, the combination with a. container embodying a a tubular heating unit in said groove comprising' an outer metal'casing, a resistor in. said casing,

tric-insulatin material compacting said remetal casing, and aA resilient of its peripheral surface operatively engaging the wall of s aid groove,

and expansively 'oxidized elecmember lfor holding said heating element in l I 3. in meneer-many heated device', the combination with a container embodying a substantially semicylindrical said groove, said u nit'comprising an outer metal casing, a resistor member in said casing and expansively oxidized electric-insulating and heat-conducting crystalline material compacting said resistor in the casing, and a resilient member for holding the heating. unit in said groove.

' In testimony whereof-,1 have hereunto subscribed my name this Qndday of March, 1927..y

oHRisTiAi BERGH isnt'iiti-in.y

, groove, a resilient tubularl heating unit operatively engaging iio 

